Memories of a Lost Girl
by Choreboy641
Summary: Claire was looking forward to an enjoyable summer camping with friends on a beautiful lake side, but after flying from an innertube into the waters of the lake lands her in another world her summer is going to be anything but normal. Nonetheless she feels like she should know this place but can't seem to place it.


Disclaimer: One Piece does not belong to me, it's story and characters belong to Oda sensie. On the other hand Claire is my oc and her devil fruit power is my personal idea, please do not copy. ~Thanks

Chapter One: Something lost, Something found

Being thrown of the back end of an inner tube while traveling at high speed is actually not the funniest thing in the world to do, in fact it really just hurts. Still it was way better than working in the blistering heat all day like we all had been for the past week. I squeeze my eyes shut and hold a vice grip to my nose as I tumble through the water. Slowly coming to a standstill, I peek an eye open in an attempt to regain my bearings. Unfortunately my head is still spinning from the sheer force that had torn me from the inflatable raft. Cracking the other eye open I look at the water around me, crystal clear and beautiful. I even peek a glance at the lake bottom another ten or so feet below me despite my aversion to the depth.

The water was freezing but feels amazing compared to the heat and humidity of the air above. This has been one of the hottest summers Washington has seen in at least a decade, record heats rising into the triple digits. Thankfully Lake Crescent is always this cool and comforting, fed solely from glacier waters running of the Olympic Mountain. The perfect vacation spot for camping. Also the number one reason I had suggested it to my friends in the first place, that and the fact that the beaches would be packed and I don't enjoy crowds very much.

Enjoying the serene peacefulness, my lungs begin to ache from the lack of oxygen whish was signal enough to head back to the surface. As much fun as being under water is, I still need air to live. Pawing my way to the surface I don't take notice as the atmosphere as it changes around me.

Breaking the surface I gulp down a few breaths of fresh air, filling my grateful lungs before pushing the hair from my eyes and rubbing away the excess water. A chill runs down my spine as I gaze at my surroundings, a wee bit confused as the air catches in my lungs. My heart feels as if it has stopped cold in my chest. Something definitely isn't right, in fact it is very, very wrong.

Blue skies stretch for miles all around me and meet on the horizon with the water. There are no lush green pine forests creeping up the slopping foot hills of the Olympics. No lake houses or twisting highway, or even the distant echo from the motor of a boat, nothing but water and sky.

"Okay… not so funny." I mutter hesitantly to myself as panic beginning to raise a lump in the back of my throat. Swimming in small circles I look around half expecting something to change, but oddly knowing it wasn't going to. Perhaps I had hit my head and this was all just a dream, but that doesn't make much sense, if I had hit my head then that would mean… I don't even want to continue on with that thought. Instead I close my eyes and lay back in the water just floating for a moment. Okay let's think about this logically, I tell myself, one minute I'm hanging with my friends having fun and the next thing I know everything is just gone… so how does that happen? Running over the possibilities in my head one at a time my options just keep getting grimmer and grimmer until eventually I can't take it anymore and i scream into the nothingness that surrounds me.

It takes less than a minute for my lungs to empty of air and I fall back into the silence of my own thoughts. What holy hell have I managed to stumble, well swim into? As I ponder this thought a distinct low hum invades my senses somewhat grating on my already frayed nerves. The sound is persistent and is accompanied by a small disturbance of the water; it kind of reminds me of… My eyes snap open and I straighten in the water and pause to listen carefully to the sound that echo's over that waters' surface. It is definitely a motor of some kind. Squinting against the glare of the sun on the water I search the horizon for the source of the sound, quickly spotting a darkened splotch to what I guess is north, not to entirely sure.

At the moment the small splotch was heading parallel along the horizon. If I can just get its' attention, it is the only chance I have of being rescued. Raising my arms as high out of the water as I can I begin waving frantically and yelling at the top of my lungs, anything that would get this persons' attention. Much to my surprise and delight the splotch slowly stops following the horizon and is now growing in size. I can only pray it's heading in my direction and not going to pass me by.

"Heeeeeeey! Heeeeeeey over here!" I cry and my voice cracks. As I continue to wave frantically, water splashes into my mouth and it's then that I realize I am no longer in a fresh body of water, rather stranded in the middle of an ocean. My whole being freezes for a split second as dread finds its way out of the pit that my stomach has become. How the hell had this happened? And when?

Five minutes pass but it feels like an eternity before I can just make out the shape of the splotch. It is definitely a boat of some sort and I can hear the engine a lot clearer now. Unfortunately as it begins getting close enough for any chance of noticing me it also begins picking up speed. This person can't hear or see me, that or they probably aren't paying much attention, and yet they are heading right for me. This realization doesn't have time to sink in before I'm moving, making a feeble attempt to get out of the way, but lets' face it I have never been that great a swimmer and there is no way I was going to get out of the way fast enough. So instead I do the one thing I can think of at that moment and let loose a nail biting sound from my throat.

It is like time has slowed as I watch the vessel before my come to a dead stop, much like it had hit a brick wall or something harder. The person on board must have lost their footing because they came flying over the bow and myself to plummet into the water behind me. If it hadn't been for the fact that this person had almost mowed me down the entire scene would have been rather comical. Quickly spinning around I wait for a moment, watching the spot where the person had gone under expecting a head to resurface. So after a few seconds of waiting I realize something is wrong. Seriously? Sucking in a breath of air I duck my head under water and force my eyes open against the sting of salty water. Spotting my target I grab another quick breath of air and dive under the surface.

What person in their right mind comes to sea and doesn't know how to swim? I think as I move through the water closing the distance between me and what I now recognize to be a man. Swimming around his back I hook my arms under his and begin kicking as hard as I can propelling us towards the surface. My lungs ache in protest of the long stretch without oxygen and my muscles strain with the effort of hauling the extra dead weight. This had to be one of the dumbest things I have ever had to do. I was the one whom needed saving, so why in the world was I doing the saving? Some kind of irony this is. We continue to ascend at a slow rate and it is beginning to feel like we will never reach the air above. The burning in my lungs and muscles is becoming unbearable so with one last push of desperation and strength I don't even think I have we brake the surface and I suck in a harsh breath of air, letting it out just as sharply.

We had made it but just barely. Glancing at my impromptu cargo I heave a heavy sigh, "Don't you know how to swim?" I ask softly not expecting a reply, the guy is out cold, but luckily is breathing. Taking a few moments to catch my breath and sooth my burning muscles I look over at the boat that belonging to this man. Now is the hard part, getting this guys dead weight back on to it. Definitely a lot easier said than done, but after a good fifteen minutes or so of struggling we both finally make it on to the tiny craft.

After rechecking the man's breathing and other vitals I sit back and finally take a moment to relax. So much for my rescue, I muse silently biting at my lips. Standing swiftly I move to the lip that leads to the bow and plop down, the man is propped against the opposite ledge. Talk about small boats, I sigh half heartedly and look around with a frown. It is probably one of the strangest vessels I've ever seen. It's more like a canoe then an actual boat, it also has a mast just aft of the cut out and what looks similar to a jet turbine jutting out the back end. I just kind of stared at that, not really sure what to think. It lacks any kind of living space which makes me wonder how this guy survives while at sea.

Speaking of which, my gaze leaves the strange jet on the back and falls upon the man out cold in front of me and I bite the inside of my cheek. Despite his inefficiency at swimming he isn't half bad looking, in fact he seems to be in impeccable shape, muscles ripple across his shirtless torso. It is hard to ignore the heat that rises to stain my cheeks a very deep crimson and I am thankful he is out cold. Moving on from the bare skin, a mope of dark shaggy hair adorns his head, a band of freckles is dusted over his cheeks, and he has an even gold tan that any Jersey girl would be jealous of. Hell I am a bit jealous as I pout at my own almost translucently pale skin. To say the least this guy is kind of cute.

His style of clothing isn't much to talk of. No shirt, he wears a pair of black cargo shorts low on his hips and a black set of what could be described as combat boots. A bright orange hat with some strange adornments hangs against his back secured around his neck by a band with a pendent at the end. Also around his neck is a string of large red beads, something I'd seen a girl at a party wearing once; but what really caught my attention from this guy is a tattoo that runs the length of his left bicep. It reads as the letter with the S crossed out as if it were a mistake. It's strange but makes me smile nonetheless and something about it feels familiar but I can't quite place it. Like a word on the tip of your tongue that you can't quite spit out. As I continue to stare at the tattoo and try to place it in my memories something in the corner of my sight catches my attention and I turn away. Looking at the water off the port side of the vessel; floating just below the surface of the water is a green and black bag. Must belong to him, I muse while reaching for it.

"Freeze," the order is both smooth and threatening causing my entire being to go ridged. When had he? I had only taken my eyes from him for a split second, not nearly long enough. "Who the hell are you?" he demands and I can feel something burning at the back of my neck. My stomach drops as I wrack my brain for something to say, but every time I open my mouth to speak nothing comes out and I am left to gape like a fish out of water. All I can think now is to get away, distract him and get away before anything bad can happen. The next thing I know I'm reaching for the bag in the water and catapulting it up and over my shoulder at the man, then the plan is to jump ship and hope since he can't swim he'd leave it at that. However before I can so much as get a foot onto the ledge before me I'm snagged by the wrist and pulled back forcefully against the his chest, arm twisted at a painful angle behind me.

"It's not nice to throw things, especially when they don't belong to you." He states kind of nonchalantly against my ear causing a shiver to travel lightening fast up my spine. I can only hope he hasn't noticed but the soft chuckle proves otherwise. "Now I asked you who the hell you are, and why the hell you're floating out in the middle of nowhere?" he demands a little less harshly then before and something in his tone sparks an irritated fire in me.

"You only ask one of those questions, " I correct feeling a bit ballsy, "and I'm the person that just pulled your dumb ass out of the water. Mr. I don't know how to swim." My retort comes out a bit harsh and snippy but what the hell do I care. I somewhat attempt to pull my arm away, testing his hold on me and its iron clad hampering any future escapes. "Anyways what kind of person goes out to seas not knowing how to swim? A stupid one that's what." Again my tone is snappy and irritated and strangely demanding considering I'm the one being held captive in this situation. He is silent for a moment like he's actually thinking it over.

Without any kind of warning he releases his grip on my arm and spins me around until I'm facing him, grabbing my biceps to hold me in place while he looks me over. Again I feel the heat rise to my cheeks under his scrutinizing gaze, it's rather awkward on my part since I'm wearing little more than a bikini and a short pair of board shorts. I try my damn-est to keep a blank look on my face and not bite at my lips.

"Well I guess that makes me stupid, but whose fault is it I ended up in the water in the first place?" He throws back at me as an accusation. Bringing he gaze back to mine with a playful smile. I snort and roll my eyes dramatically looking away from him. "And it's not that I don't know how to swim, because I do, I just can't is the problem." He adds as an afterthought and again I snort. Cocky bastard. He shakes his head and releases his grip on me before turning towards the water. We stand in silence for a moment before his words dawn on me.

"Wait!" I snap suddenly, "What the hell do you mean by can't?" I ask staring at him judgingly but again something in the water draws my attention away. The green and black bag from before is drifting farther out. "Your bag." I comment blandly causing him to turn and hold my gaze.

"And? What about it?" he replies just as calmly causing me to quirk a brow. Glancing past him I judge the distance that is has floated away, then return my gaze to him.

"Well, it's floating away." I inform very matter o' factly. He gives me a shrug of his brood shoulders in reply and we continue our judging contest of one another. Oddly enough nothing about this feels at all strange, not like it would any other stranger, it's a little off putting. "I'm not going to get it." I finally say breaking the silence as my hands move to my hips of their own accord. Something about this simple gesture seems to have amused him because a cocky grin forms across his lips.

"Never asked you too." He retorts a trace of laughter to his words. My brow knits together as I frown at him.

"Well then how are you going to do Mr. I can't…" I never get to finish that thought because the man before me with his cocky grin and irritating mannerisms bursts into flames, before shooting into the air. I am stunned into muteness. My gaze has widened to the point of being painful, as I slowly turn it up to where he is floating above me, his lower half is still engulfed in flames. I am dumb struck, speechless, hell I can't even form a cohesive thought. I can only stare as he shoots out over the water and pauses briefly over his bag to look back at me and make sure I'm watching. All the while that cocky, shit eater grins on his face. He plucks his bag from the water before coming back to the boat like this feat was nothing at all.

As soon as he lands and the flames extinguish our eyes lock. Just by that stupid grin he wears I can tell I look like an idiot, eyes wide as they can go, brows raised high, and mouth gaping much like a Venus fly trap waiting for a fly. I'm sure it all seems very funny from his stand point, but for me, hell I don't even know where to begin.

After a long pause of nothingness I draw a sharp breath, my knees buckle beneath me and I fall backwards, my tail bone connecting hard with the ledge of the boat behind me. He jumps just as I begin to fall moving to grab me, but stops when I stop half way down and pulls back relaxing somewhat. Again we stare at one another in silence, utter shock absorbing my every thought.

Finally after what felt like an eternity I am able to find my voice, but it sounds very distant and meek to my ears. "What are you?" Once again he is laughing at me as he drops his long forgotten bag onto the deck. Confusion creeps across my features, I don't think I've asked that funny a question. "What?" Is all I can manage to choke out still too dumbfounded for a complete sentence. His laughter slowly dies out into a chuckle.

"I ate a Devil Fruit." He states with all the confidence in the world, "and now I'm made of fire." I continue to stare at him, my expression never changing. There it is again that feeling like I should know what he's talking about, but when I try to remember I draw nothing but a blank. Instead of dwelling on it I push the feeling aside for later.

"You ate a what?" I ask confused as to what a piece of fruit had anything to do with anything, let alone this guy bursting into a human torch. No pun intended. Suddenly the confidence drains from him replaced with my growing confusion. Another strange silence passes between us. Our gazes finally fall from the others' as we fidget uncomfortably.

A gentle breeze picks up around us causing me to shiver slightly; it reminds me of how exposed I actually am wearing only a bikini top and shorts. I cross my arms over my cheat in an attempt to keep warm. The man before me must have noticed because he kneels down to his previously discarded bag and begins to dig through it. I watch curiously as he pulls out what looks to be a shirt, unfortunately it's soggy and dripping all over the place, that doesn't deter him from putting it on. What comes next happens quiet instantaneously, steam begins to billow out from the shirt, like rain on a hot summer black top and I watch in awe. Once all the steam has blown away on the wind he takes it off again and tosses it over my head.

"To keep you warm." He murmurs as I snag the fabric off my head. It is surprisingly warm in my lap, like it's just come from the dryer. Cautiously I shrug it on, reveling in its warmth.

"How did you…" I begin to ask then catch myself, "Right."

"So were you born under a rock or something?" He questions and it instantly reignites my irritation with him as I throw a glare his way.

"No," I snap, "Were you?" My throw back makes him look at me with a frown.

"Why do you have to be so difficult?" He demands a bit louder than before and I can feel an argument coming on.

"Because you ask really stupid questions." I shot back. We stare at each other for a few tense moments.

"Look." He begins with a sigh, his tone is even again, "most people around here know about Devil Fruits and their powers. So it's a little strange to find someone whom doesn't know anything." He explains but for some reason I can't hold in the next jab that comes out of my mouth.

"Well excuse me for not knowing about your fruit issues." I huff and cross my arms again, but a guilty feeling quickly sweeps over me. I know this guy is probably just as lost with me as I am with him. "Sorry." I add quickly and a gentle smile crosses his lips. Thinking to myself for a moment, his words sink in. "Wait, what do you mean powers?" My attention refocuses on him as he shoves a few thing back into his bag.

"You know, things like creating fire or earth quakes, turning into an animal, hell I even know a kid made of rubber." He chuckles as he looks at me but sees I'm still clueless. Another wave of that familiar feeling washes over me but I ignore it. "You really don't know?" his words are laced with concern and I just shake my head. He shuffles about restlessly while I stare at the water, our previous irritation long forgotten. "Wow." He sighs after a minute or two and scratches the back of his head, "So um, where are you from?"

"Silverdale, Washington." I state and something in me drops into the pit where my stomach should be. Oddly I know what is coming and dread it terribly.

"Is that an island near here?" He asks looking at a strange bulb strapped to his wrist then out at the water around us. I look around us as well pushing aside my growing anxiety, it's not like I didn't realize this fact sooner what with all the talk about devil fruits and strange powers of course I couldn't possibly be in my own world, how could I be?

"Probably not." I mutter with a begrudging disdain that raises a questioning look from him. I sigh, "Look where are we exactly?" and ask. Now it is his turn to look confused.

"This is one of the most famous places in the world, how could you not know it?" He explains arms out pointing at the ocean all around. I roll my eyes and placate him by looking around then shrug my shoulders. In utter defeat he drops his arms and places his hands on his waist with a shake of his head. "You really were born under a rock." He mutters to which I roll my eyes but choose not to argue again. It isn't going to get us anywhere, anyways. "Alright well this is the Grand Line, the most dangerous and brutal ocean in the world. Pirates from all the other oceans come here in search of the treasure called the One Piece. Have you at least heard of that?"

"Nope." I reply a smile now settling on my lips. Pirates eh? Things could get interesting and very dangerous. "Actually I don't really thing I'm from this world." I announce plainly which seems to shock him completely.

"What do you mean by that?" He asks an exaggerated look of surprise and wonder on his face which causes me to laugh with a shrug. How can I explain this?

"Okay, mmm well about thirty minutes ago I was on a lake tubing with some friends and then next thing I know I'm flung from the tube and when I swim back to the surface, what do I find?" I question to draw him in farther, "Nothing, nothing at all but sky and water. No mountains, no trees, no anything. Now how often does that happen? Nonetheless you start talking about strange fruits, magic powers, and pirates, which none of those things exist where I'm from. It all leads me to believe I'm no longer in Kansas, toto." I explain rather informatively and exaggerated manner, then heave a sigh when finished. We fall silent for a long moment as a look of confused thought befalls my companion's features.

"Wait I thought you said you are from Silverdale. Is Kansas the name of your world." He asks an utter look of confusion pointed in my direction. Again I have to laugh at him for how much he looks like a lost little kid as he stands before me scratching the back of his head.

"Well no." I chuckle, but figure it'd be too much to explain, "Never mind I mean it hardly matters now that I'm here. Where ever here is." I add with a mumble and we fall quiet again, my guess is trying to take it all.

"You're strange." He states simply after another eternally long pause, which was actually only maybe five minute. Again he looks at the strange bulb strapped to his wrist. I also look at it expectantly, like maybe it to will burst into flames like its owner had. No such thing happens and as far as I can tell it looks just like a normal strangely shaped watch. He stares for another minute then looks out at the ocean as I watch curiously.

"There's an island not too far from here, I suppose I could take you there for now." He announces as he turns his attention back to me. I give him a quizzical look in return. How the hell does he know that without pulling out some type of chart? I glance in the direction he had been staring to see if there's any sign of land but all I can see is sky and water all the way to the horizon. Not surprising since that's all I've seen all day. Turning back to him, he is organizing something in his bag and readying himself for travel.

"How do you know there's an island?" I ask sounding slight bored; pulling the fabric of the shirt closer to me as a gust of wind sweeps over us. He tosses his bag over a shoulder and glances back at me.

"The Log pose." Is his reply then he remembers my lack of knowledge of this world. His arm is suddenly jutted out in my direction the bulb on his wrist just below my nose. "It's like a compass, only it logs the magnetic field of different islands. A regular compass doesn't work on these seas." He conveys as I study this log pose thing on his wrist. "By the way I'm Ace, Portgas D. Ace, it's very nice to meet you." He introduces cheerfully and respectfully his hand flips over to offer a hand shake. Smiling up at him I grip his hand.

"I'm Claire," I state as I shake his hand, "Nice to meet you too," we both smile at one another and strangely I can feel warmth radiating from his hand. That same heat from before rises to my cheeks as he lets go and I pull my hand away.

"Well Claire if you could put your feet up and hang on tight we'll be on our way." Ace instructs enthusiastically. I carefully slid back farther onto the ledge and cross my legs, then look around for something to hang onto, but come up empty.

"Hey Ace," I start to say before we all of a sudden start forward, throwing me off balance as I tumble towards the flames that have yet again engulfed Ace's feet this time. Abruptly I catch myself on the lip of the ledge inches away from the inferno. Glaring up at his resentfully but finding I can't stay mad for long while he's laughing so heartily. "A little warning next time." I yell over the roar of the flames and wind then join him in his laughter.


End file.
